A Special Scar
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: After he leaves word for Casey that he's going to talk to Courtney's mom, Severide fails to return to their shared apartment so Casey goes looking. Will he find his friend in time? Based on eppy 4.17 'What Happened to Courtney' My missing #sevasey hurt/comfort broment
**Title: A Special Scar**

 **Summary:** After he leaves word for Casey that he's going to talk to Courtney's mom, Severide fails to return to their shared apartment so Casey goes looking. Will he find his friend in time? Based on eppy 4.17 'What Happened to Courtney' My missing #sevasey hurt/comfort broment

 **Disclaimer:** Same as always. I own nothing but my muse and my love for all things #firefighters & #Sevasey

 **A/N:** Yeah so…this would be before Casey's party at Molly's which won't factor in this piece – instead a good dose of Kelly hurt and some Matt rescue/comfort. Hope you all like this little one shot!

NOTE: As 'always' _"words in italics and double quotes taken directly from the eppy." Just italics are thoughts and single is a past convo._

 **I didn't have the emotional stability to post something on the day of the anniversary his death last week but Bob would have gotten a kick out of a dedication of my 371** **st** **story 371 days after something – sadly this coincides with his passing *weeps***

* * *

" _It's a child's body…"_

Pulling a dead body…any dead body from a House fire or an accident…or from horrific scene is one of a firefighter's worst tasks. Pulling a child's body…a child's dead body…especially one found wrapped in a blanket hidden in a chimney was emotionally disturbing at best.

"You okay?" Casey asks Severide as his friend and fellow 51 Lieutenant stands up after having carefully placed the child's body on the transfer board.

"Yeah…" Severide huffs as he looks at Casey with a heavy frown. "Damn chimney…hate calls like those at the best of times but to find a child's burnt body…" he shakes his head and then looks back at the House. "Still…"

"What?" Casey presses.

"Something familiar about this place. I don't…maybe nothing. Seen one House seen em all right?"

"Right. Come on…let's get back."

Severide gives Casey a nod but lets his gaze affix a bit longer on the home before he turns back, his mind reminding him to get his report done as soon as he's back at the House and then close the case. Easier said than done. He climbs into the cabin of Squad truck 3 and closes the door, patting it on the side and then giving the House one last glance before it disappears from view.

 _Something…something about that House…_ his mind trails off as he tries to recall the one House….the one call…from when though? And what call would have taken him to that particular home in the past? Nothing he can clearly recall so tells himself that it's just some jitters from finding the child's body and to put it aside and get more important things done.

But putting the dead child in the chimney out of his mind for good wasn't going to be easy. About an hour later tightly wound Detective Holloway arrives to ask him about his statement and then show him some crime scene photos and news, _"the current home owners just moved in five months ago and the ME thinks 'Baby Doe's been there a few years."_

Not expecting to see much from the photos of the chimney's interior but since there was nothing to identify the child; _"the clothing have been stripped and no dental matches,"_ he knows he's part of their last resort and so agrees to look at the photos.

Nothing out of the ordinary at first.

But then…then something catches his eye and makes his mind spiral downward. His weary sapphires affix onto fifth photo and then…stop. Something partially buried in the soot and ash…something begging for his attention – the unmistakable outline of a necklace. Something that…he knows…something familiar.

And finally something clicks about the identity of the child's remains. Or so he thinks.

 _"I think I know who this is," Severide states with certainty._ And that certainty forces him to march into Boden's office asking him he _"remembers Courtney Harris?...pretty sure that was her body we pulled from the chimney."_

Boden audibly relays the story of the _"little girl who wandered away from her parent's party in North Kenwood and was thought drowned. Everyone joined in the search until the Squad captain called off the search three days later."_

 _"Courtney's description included a Saint Nicholas's pendant. I remember because her mother told me. That's it Chief…that's her necklace…Someone transported the body. I'm telling you it's her. That's why we never found her…she wasn't in the lake."_

"We'll take it from here."

Severide watches the detective take her leave and then looks at Boden with a heavy frown; Boden reminding him that nothing's confirmed yet…it's no longer his case and to leave it in the hands of the police. Severide gives Boden a nod and then leaves his office, slowly walking down the hallway to his office and slumping back down into his chair.

"I know who the girl is," he mentions without looking up; having seen Casey approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"What? Who?"

"Courtney Harris."

"The girl…from the lake? That….wasn't her home," Casey states pointedly.

"I know ," Severide ponders audibly as Casey's brow furrows.

"You're sure it was Courtney Harris?" Casey asks in wonder as Severide finally turns to face him.

"DNA hasn't confirmed it yet…but I know it's her," Severide insists. "I need to go and talk to her parents and…"

"Not…a good idea," Casey interjects in haste. "Won't that be…interfering with the case?"

"I know it's her," Severide echoes again. "I remember her mother…Emma Harris. Was raining so hard and I drove my car down for her to have a dry place to sit and just stare at the water. Her husband Eli…he was frantic but looking elsewhere and…I know it's her," Severide looks up at Casey. "It's Courtney."

"Kelly…"

"Holloway is trying to get a hold of them…I know where they live and they'll open the door to me," he shrugs. "They should at least answer her calls. They need to know."

"Nothing's been confirmed yet," Casey tries to insist as Severide shakes his head. "What if you interfere and something goes wrong?"

"I'll just tell them….they need to know."

"It's not your job to tell them now," Casey states as his phone rings. "Duty…calls."

"Think Becks would help the Harris's?" Severide snickers.

"Bastard," Casey tosses at his friend dryly as he answers his phone and walks out of Severide's office.

Severide watches him leave and then diverts his gaze back to the newspaper article on his computer screen; his mind trying to reason with him why he shouldn't go see the Harris's. However, he doesn't listen to reason and instead of going home after shift he finds himself driving in the opposite direction.

He stops at the Harris home. _Turn back now…don't go to that front door._ But he doesn't listen once more and a few seconds later he's knocking on their front door; helping to put into motion a chain of events that would prove the 51 Squad Lieutenant right and bring some closure to a grieving family.

XXXXXXXX

Casey hears the door open and looks up to see Severide enter with a perplexed expression. "You went there right?"

"Had to…had to tell Emma Harris that maybe…"

"What?" Casey asks as he looks up from the couch as Severide enters their shared living room. "You told her they found Courtney?"

"No…just maybe it's her and to return Holloway's calls and…to get a DNA sample. I'll take the brush to PD tomorrow. Look I know it's her…I can't just do…nothing. They want closure…or she does. Divorced shortly after the case was closed. Damn…" Severide concludes with a soft curse as he slumps down into a chair opposite Casey. "I know it's her."

Casey looks at the weary but determined expression on his friend's face and feels himself offer Severide an exhale just for the sheer emotional angst his friend is battling. "I hope…you're right."

"Yeah…me to," Severide concludes gravely.

XXXXXXXX

However, the next morning, as suspected, despite doing something to help the case, his actions are called into question by the uptight Holloway and his own superior Chief Boden.

 _"Yes I went to talk to Emma…I told her to return your calls and…I got a DNA sample."_

He had hoped that his actions would have better repercussions; however, as he receives a mild tongue lashing from the uptight detective and his boss, his frustration grows.

 _"And if it's not Courtney? Will you be the one to go and tell the mother that?"_

 _"I will."_

As much as he hates to deliver any kind of horrible to news about a child to a parent, he knows he has to own this one. He looks at Boden whose tight lipped expression tells him that his enthusiasm to close the case and bring some muchly needed closure to at least a grieving mother might have been a bit near sighted.

Severide leaves Boden's office, slowly walking down the hallway and then stopping when Casey rounds the corner and looks at him in expectation. "Don't…say it."

"How'd it go?"

"As expected. These things take time…I get it but…but I just wanted to help."

"So…what happens now?" Casey inquires.

"Nothing," Severide shrugs as he shoves his hands into his pockets. "I was told to back off for now…so I'll do that."

"Really?" Casey retorts.

"They have the DNA and they'll confirm and if it is…Holloway can ride her horse to glory and whatever…" Severide ends on a bitter note.

"Kelly."

"I just want closure for them. If the DNA from the hairbrush can give it…great."

Casey watches Severide pull away and then disappear into his office; his own shoulders slumping. He hears soft footsteps and turns around to see Boden approaching. "This case really has gotten to him. Did you know about his cousins playing with Courtney?"

"I did," Boden replies in truth. "I know he hates to admit it at times but the processes are in place for a reason."

"What happens now Chief?"

"Now…now we try to get back to _our_ processes."

"Drills…right," Casey agrees with a nod as he pulls away from his superior and heads toward the large truck bays. As he passes Severide's office, he turns and looks to see his friend looking at the clipping of Courtney Harris. _No point in trying to reason with him right now…he won't listen until the DNA results are back in._ Casey knows his musings are correct and tells himself that in a few days this will all be over and things will return to normal. Would they?

XXXXXXXX

Vindication, however, came a day later but at a personal price.

 _"Seems you were right, DNA confirmed the body of baby doe belongs to Courtney Harris."_

In that moment he knows he should be leaping for joy, reveling in the knowledge that his hunch was right and now the family would finally have some closure. But the tension that hangs in the air seems to get thicker by the moment and he can't help but wonder.

 _"Have you talked to Emma Harris?"_

 _"No," Severide answers in truth. "You told me to back off…so I did."_

But when the news that's delivered next informs him of Emma's silence his mind once again can't help but wonder why. This time…he's _asked_ to take action.

 _"Can you go see Emma? Tell her the news and to call me?"_

 _"Sure," Severide nods and offers a small shrug as he watches the detective leave and then looks at Boden._ "Wonder why she's not answering. She knew the news would be coming soon."

"Don't know but when you go Kelly, tread lightly. This woman is already in pain and might just be trying to shield herself from the bad news."

"Thanks Chief," Severide tells his Chief as he goes in search of Casey; wanting to have a bit of backup when he goes to tell the mother the confirmation of the bad news. However, Casey isn't there so he leaves him a note and then takes his leave.

On the drive the Harris home, Severide's mind tries to think of questions or objections…that Emma Harris would bombard him with, reasons for not answering Holloway's calls or just dealing with an emotionally distraught parent. But as soon as he gets there, he's presented with a situation that he hadn't quite expected.

 _"Hey…" Severide greets a flustered Emma Harris. "Just stopped by to see how you're doing."_ However, her reasons for being flustered instantly blindside him.

 _"Thank God you're here. Can you talk some sense into my brother? David?"_

What? That's…not exactly what he's expecting and a small voice inside his head screams at him to call for backup – now. But seeing the outright panic in her gaze, he once again follows his gut – something he's done this entire case and tells himself that this time the outcome would be just as amicable.

He'd be wrong.

Severide follows Emma into her home and then around the corner into the living room.

 _"I don't know if you remember my brother David?" Emma asks in mild annoyance._

 _"Yeah…yeah I do," Severide replies in truth._

David holds Severide's gaze a big longer than he'd like; a slight feeling of uneasy agitation starting to develop. David says nothing so he turns to Emma and proceeds to get on with the real reason he stopped by. _"Detective Holloway said you're not returning any of her calls. Everything okay?" Severide asks firmly._

Another unexpected turn – David answers for Emma. _"She's not talking to the cops…ever seen making a murderer?"_ He concludes with a hint of sarcasm; something that only annoys Emma but puts Severide even further on alert. However, when David starts into his ranty tirade about why Emma shouldn't call the police, warning bells go off inside Severide's mind…especially when it's David who verbally incriminates himself.

 _"…can't talk to the cops…they'll say you snapped because Eli was stepping out behind your back…didn't want kids. They'll say you went crazy and_ _snapped Courtney's neck_ _…then what?"_

Never one to shy away from the obvious, Severide instantly calls David on his verbal admission of guilt.

 _"How did you know Courtney's neck was snapped?" Severide glares at David._

The room goes instantly silent and the emotional tension that was starting to gain momentum morphs into the size of a Tsunami. David looks at Severide and then at Emma; Emma staring back at her brother. David instantly tries to deflect his guilt by putting it on Emma, _"you told me,"_ he tells her directly; to which she verbally counters, _"no I didn't, this is the first I've heard of it."_

And that was it. It was the first Emma had heard of it and since Holloway had confirmed that Emma hadn't talked to her personally and Severide knows he kept the details of the case secret until just then…David was the murderer; no amount of backpedaling would help. A sad ending to a sad case; in the end…despite having closure, all of them would lose.

However, in that moment, David isn't about to just go quietly, so instead of letting Severide just call the police, he picks up a Fireplace Iron and waves it in the air; Severide's hands instantly rising. It wasn't going to be an easy ending or peaceful ending.

 _"I said…get out of here!" David commands._

Holding his ground Severide shakes his head and offers in clear defiance, _"I'm not going anywhere."_

Tense gazes are traded; neither man backing down or at this point listening to reason. A few seconds later…with the piece of iron raised – David attacks Severide.

XXXXXXXX

Casey enters his office a few hours later, tired and just wanting to go home and rest before the big campaign wrap-up party the following night. He spies Severide's hand scribbled note:

 _'Matt…gone to check up on Emma Harris. Holloway knows. See you at home at 7.'_

Casey checks his watch and shrugs, telling himself that Severide should be home by now…maybe had ordered in pizza and they could just talk about the calls of the day. However, when he gets home, he finds he's the only one there.

"Kelly…you home?" Casey calls out. But when he's greeted with silence he calls Molly's to see if maybe he's there. No one has seen him. _Maybe things are taking longer at the Harris home?_ Knowing that Severide had asked if he wanted to go, Casey heads back outside, gets into his truck and heads for another part of Chicago.

"Probably just talking about the case," Casey muses, not knowing his words and thoughts are the furthest from the truth.

XXXXXXXX

Severide had expected somewhat of a fight…part of his mind telling himself that David was just going to threaten him with the iron not actually use it. The other part of his mind reminded him that, David had just admitted to murdering his niece and he wasn't going down without a fight.

The latter thought wins out.

David's body slams into Severide's striking him in the stomach and then once more on his left arm; Severide trying to counter David's movements by quickly circling him and then striking him with a balled fist in the chest and then jaw.

David however, doesn't give up; continuing to dangerously swing the fireplace iron in the air and striking Severide whenever the opportunity arises. Not wanting to make much damage but knowing he doesn't have much of a choice, Severide charges toward David with both fists balled.

David raises the iron and strikes at Severide mere seconds before their two frames sail backward and then slams into a large glass cabinet; causing it to bust and shatter, rain down bits of deadly debris as their two locked frames crash into the floor. Severide manages to roll off David; his mind urging him to get up and get something to subdue his attacker for good – but not permanently.

Severide's attacker isn't going to give up that easily and within seconds, David his Severide pinned against the corner of the wall with the heavy iron object pressing down across his chest. He brings his knee up, clipping David in the groin and causing him to slightly falter. But David brings the iron up and strikes Severide a few times in quick succession – on the side, on the back…on the arm…the shoulder…Severide's body starting to feel the wear but his brain yelling at him to keep going.

He lashes out at David, punching in in the mouth, causing a small smattering of blood to spray onto his jaw and of course his knuckles. David hits back; the end of the iron coming up and opening a small cut above Severide's left eye. He feels warm blood starting to trickle down the side of his face, but again his brain urges him to keep going.

David strikes again, once again with the iron, and then again…and again; Severide's knees finally buckling. Severide hears Emma scream, yelling at them to stop. But neither would have it; David spurred on by desperate revenge and Severide on survival instinct. However, David does have an unfair advantage – the fireplace iron.

He strikes Severide again; Severide's lips spitting out the coppery taste of his own blood and his stomach lurching as some slowly starts to slide down his throat and into his agitated stomach. His weary frame finally falters and he drops to his knees. Another blow to his back and he's almost flat on his stomach.

For a few seconds, Severide's mind thinks he hears Casey calling his name. _Matt…he's here? What…?_ His mind swims with dizzying pain and he watches with a few blurry blinks as the black iron weapon is raised in the air; ready to strike once more. A head wound? Could be fatal…to the arm? Might sideline him from work with something broken. His back?...he didn't want to think about it.

"STOP!"

 _That's Matt's voice…_ Severide tells himself as he waits for the final blow. It never comes. Instead he hears some more shuffling and Emma telling them she could hear the police pulling up.

"Kelly…"

He rolls over onto his back and looks up with a strained expression. "Matt?"

"It's over now," Casey informs him in truth. "Come on…let's get you home and cleaned up."

"David…"

"Holloway just took him," Casey replies as he helps Severide slowly sit up; Severide taking the Kleenex offered from Casey and gently dabbing the cut on his forehead.

"Good timing…but…"

"Got your note and figured you might be in a group therapy session," Casey pauses as he looks around the busted up living room. "Physical therapy?"

"Something like that…ah damn," Severide groans as he tries to get upright and then slumps back down to a seated position on the floor. "We did…all that?" Severide asks somewhat rhetorically as his right hand feels the back of his head.

"Kelly?"

"No…just the back…arm…chest…" Severide huffs as he lets Casey help him stand up.

"You look like hell."

"Feel like it," Severide replies as he starts to falter.

"Whoa!" Casey shoots out and grabs Severide's arm to steady him on his feet. "Maybe just…sit and relax a bit."

"No…I need to give Emma a hug and then…go home," Severide's voice trails off as he takes Courtney's Saint Nicholas's pendant to Emma, giving her a hug and both thanking God it was finally over.

"After we go to the ER," Casey adds silently as he listens to the soft sobs; his heart sinking in remorse.

XXXXXXXX

"What…a day," Severide groans as they enter the ER, Casey insisting Severide get a few x-rays to make sure nothing was broken from the attack with the iron. The two of them slump down into the waiting room chairs and then trade weary expressions.

"That's…gonna leave a small scar," Casey nods to the still bloody cut above his left eye.

"This one is kind of a special scar…doubt I'll mind," Severide groans as he looks at Casey with a heavy frown; his fingers coming away with the damp cloth and his eyes looking at the fresh crimson stain. "Can't believe he'd…a fit of rage…I don't…Emma never said what he and her husband Eli fought about or maybe it was a fight between brother and sister or something else. Parties, gambling…affairs…who knows," Severide huffs as he leans back in the chair and closes his eyes; his head starting to really pound. "How much longer do I have wait…" he sighs as he opens his eyes and looks at Casey with a frown.

"What?"

"You fought with David too?"

"Wasn't much," Casey shrugs. "I got him from behind and yanked him back."

"So…he didn't hit you?"

"No," Casey replies with a frown. "Why?"

"Your forehead…just above your left eye…I see a cut and a bruise."

"Remember…the mechanic save, the car that fell…"

"On your hard…head," Severide concludes with a small snicker as Casey shakes his head and smirks. "You get that checked out?"

"Superficial."

"Oh really?"

"Hey at least no one came at me with a fireplace iron," Casey retorts flatly.

"We have the same scar," Severide points out as Casey's lips purse.

"Then…mine is special also," he slightly snickers as Severide gives his friend an eye roll; seconds before the nurse finally arrives to take Severide to get his x-rays.

"Well since you're special…you can buy dinner."

Casey offers Severide a deadpanned expression before he disappears from view, leaning back in his chair and knowing that tonight they'd be bonding over a bit more than just pizza and beer and a tense call – they'd be bonding over a special scar, one they now shared.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you all liked this little companion piece and please do review before you go and thanks so much.

 **PS:** I know I had planned to update Plan D but Alice wanted to dedicate this to Bob this week so hope all my loyal Plan D readers are okay with that but we'll be back to regular updates next week. Thanks everyone!


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